Wild Blue Yonder
by blackeyesblueeyes
Summary: Jim is now a captain, who could easily have his own star ship and crew. But why is this offer of adventure from a classmate too tempting to pass up?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. Any original characters are mine.

"I must congratulate all of our new graduates of the illustrious Interstellar Academy. You now join the ranks of some of the galaxies most infamous and decorated captains, navigators and star ship crews. Give yourselves a round of applause!" the director said into the microphone. A loud roar of hands clapping rose up, including a few whistles and some "Ya-hoo!"

Jim, or rather Capt. James Pleiades Hawkins, stood on stage overlooking the crowd of graduates and their families. He had successfully graduated to the full rank and title of Captain. At twenty-two years of age, this was quite a feat. Most captains did not get their rank until they were at least twenty-six, after about ten or so years of study and tutelage under a working captain. But Jim had surpassed all expectations, working twice as hard and keeping his nose to the grindstone. He'd wanted so hard to prove to the non-believers back home that he could be something and today brought those years of hard work to fruition after only six years at the academy.

Some of the cadets threw their hats into the air but Jim just smiled and quietly made his way off the stage. He greeted a few friends on the way down, shook a few hands and got his back pat so much he was sure he'd have a bruise there the next morning. Surprisingly, here at the academy very few people cared about where he'd come from but rather where he was going. If you had an honest goal then that's all they needed to know. He'd quickly made lots of new friends and found himself a second home.

"Jim," a tender voice said as warm arms wrapped around his neck. He hugged his mother, who was now a good six inches shorter than him. He'd sprouted like a weed during his second year but had found that the height did not include the muscle. It hadn't been until this last year when he'd finally managed to put on some weight.

Sarah Hawkins looked up at her son with such proud eyes. She'd sprouted a few more wrinkles around her mouth but altogether she still looked just as young as she always had.

"You have no idea how proud I am of you," she told him, pulling in for another hug. She was part of the reason he'd worked so hard. For so long she'd had disappointment after disappointment in her life. The Academy had been his chance to make some of it right.

"I promise when you get back home I'll fix you your favorite meal and we'll have everyone over to celebrate," she told him. They walked towards the refreshment table, her arm tucked safely under his.

"Jim! There you are!" the doctor called. Dr. Dilbert Doppler waved the mother and son over, his wife smiling proudly beside him. Amelia Doppler had been the one to send Jim to the Interstellar Academy with a glowing recommendation, but unfortunately had not been the one Jim could study under. She'd semi-retired, choosing instead to stay home with her husband and children until they were old enough for her to take jobs again.

"Excellent work, Jim my boy!" Dilbert cried, pulling the young captain in for a hug. It was a bit awkward but Jim couldn't help but hug back. The doctor had helped him with a lot of studying and questions over the years, so he owed a lot to the man.

"You're a credit to your name," Amelia told him, as she too went in for a hug. That surprised Jim, since the older captain wasn't much of the touchy-feely sort, save for her immediate family. But he hugged her as well, considering all her influence in getting him into the academy in the first place.

"So, how does it feel? Being a full-fledged captain and all?" Dilbert asked as he stuffed a crab puff into his mouth. Jim chuckled as he picked up a bottle of Bootleggers Beer.

"Don't know. Haven't gotten an assignment yet," he replied.

"Well don't worry, it won't take long. Especially considering the glowing credentials you'll be getting from your professors, not to mention-ah, Capt. Monroe, we were just talking about you!" Ameilia said, waving over the aforementioned captain.

Captain Emmett Monroe was the man under which Jim had studied as an apprentice. He was a tough but fair instructor as the young man had found out. He was of the Balsan race, a people who somewhat resembled what was long ago called a squid. His face was covered in tiny barnacles and he had what would have looked like a beard but was actually free-moving tentacles. As he walked over to their group, Jim noticed one held a glass of some kind. While he'd long ago gotten used to them, there was still a time or two he'd get a little creeped out.

But even still, the man held great respect in and outside of the academy. Jim had become one of those after watching the captain at work. He was a force to be reckoned with and didn't take anything except one-hundred percent from his crew. Even now, he walked with his chin up and chest out, like a general into battle.

"Captain," Jim said, saluting. For the first time since coming to the academy, the captain saluted back. The young man was stunned for a minute before a deep rumble interrupted his thoughts. It was Capt. Monroe, laughing.

"Jim, you're a full-fledged captain now. It only makes sense that I salute a fellow officer," he said.

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." The captain laughed again, making the color rise in Jim's cheeks. It was years of programming, he couldn't just turn it off.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. There's someone I'd like you to meet," Amelia said, waving another person over. He only got a quick glance at the guest before a look on Capt. Monroe's face made him look back. The man's coal black eyes had softened and a small smile crossed his face. Even Sarah seemed taken aback by the gentleness that the older captain was displaying.

Jim looked back at their newest guest, a young woman probably about his age had joined him. She was about his mom's height by guess and had a dark auburn bang handing over one eye. The rest of her hair was covered by a white-and-gold embroidered scarf, pulled up and away. It matched her dress, which was sleeveless with the collar wrapped around her neck. She kissed Amelia on both cheeks before extending a hand to Capt. Monroe.

"Captain Monroe, how are you? Enjoying the evening I hope?" she asked. The captain bent over and kissed the offered hand, making nearly everyone there jump.

"I am always happy when my students graduate, my lady," he replied. The soft look in his eyes frightened Jim, making him wonder what kind of woman would elicit such a response from the war-toughened sailor.

"Uh, Jim, this is Tabitha St. Claire. She's a graduate as well, though she's a navigator. Tabitha, this is Captain Jim Hawkins," Amelia said. The girl turned to him and he watched as her smile changed from one at ease to one at work. She held out her hand, which he shook and noticed that she had some strength in her fingers.

"So I finally get to meet the infamous Jim Hawkins. It's a pleasure I must say." She sounded as if she were reciting it from memory. "I believe we worked together once, but I don't think we ever got to meet each other formally."

"I'm sorry, but where was that?"

"The mission to Xenbo. I was a practicing navigator under Capt. Monroe while you were apprenticing. Unfortunately, we navigators are on a rotation schedule. We rarely fly with the same captains twice while we're studying. I'm not surprised you don't remember."

Was she insulting him? It sounded like it but he couldn't be sure. It was during the pause that he finally noticed the color of her eyes. They were a bright green and reminded him of a gem he'd once seen while shopping for the winter holidays. The shop keeper had called it jade and he suddenly thought that a name like Tabitha was not suitable for her.

"Hey Jim!" a voice shouted before a body slammed into him. Luckily Jim maintained his balance but he quickly shifted the weight off and around.

"We graduated! Can you believe it man?! We're really done!" Altor cried. The Neveian was his best friend and the first one Jim'd made at the Academy. He was there studying to become an astronomy scholar and was hoping to use it to teach. It might not have sounded like something useful for sailing, but it would come in handy teaching future generations of star fleets and Altor was good at it. He was also good at drinking, obvious from the shine the man's bright blue eyes.

"Ahem," a voice cleared. Altor looked over before gaping and immediately saluting.

"Capt. Monroe sir! My apologies!" The Balsan did not look amused and pointed to Amelia. Altor followed the finger and went pale. "Capt. Amelia ma'am! My apologies to you too! You're looking well ma'am!" he stated. Amelia did her best not to laugh but she couldn't keep a small smile from creeping to her lips.

"Looks like you live up to your reputation, Boozer." Jim looked over to find that a very bored look had crossed Tabitha's face. Altor narrowed his eyes and swung his drink in front of her face.

"At least I don't have the proverbial stick up my as-" Jim muffled the rest of it with his hand but a hint of a blush crept into Sarah's cheeks. Tabitha just rolled her eyes and swirled the drink she had.

"Oh, that rebuttal doth make my knees quiver," she retorted. Jim might have been amused had it not been for the fact that she was insulting his best friend. He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud screeching.

"Well look at this, ladies. Tabby's gotten herself into an insult match again," a woman commented, before screeching again. Jim assumed that Obsidian's screeching was actually her way of laughing but it grated on his ears. He could only imagine what it was doing to the Dopplers.

The woman approached their group, followed by what Jim could assume was her groupies. Obsidian Knight was actually a gorgeous woman, with a mane of wavy black hair that begged to be touched, a body that could knockout a whole platoon and looks that could easily rival any young model or actress. She sauntered over in a dress that Jim could only deduce was being held up with determination and clung like a second skin. Altor was leaning heavily against him, drinking in the sight of a real life goddess.

"Hello Jim. How are you?" she cooed, brushing against him. He swallowed hard and tried to remember why they'd only gone out for three months. _Oh, right. She slept with two professors during our relationship,_ he reminded himself. Still, that didn't mean he wasn't completely immune to her touch. Apparently, she wanted to rekindle what they'd once had, probably due to the fact he was a captain now. Just because his body reacted to her charms didn't mean he was stupid.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see everyone giving her the once over. The men were almost outright staring at her, while the older women seemed to disapprove of her seduction attempts. Jim could see that Tabitha appeared completely calm, which surprised him.

"Would you mind finishing what you set out to do Obsidian, or would you rather get a room with the captain?" Tabitha spat. Apparently not entirely calm.

The other girl turned a cool blue eye to her and smiled. "Jealous?"

"No."

"You sound like it."

"Disgusted by your lack of decorum would probably be more accurate. Now would you hurry up, I don't have all day."

What happened next was too fast for Jim to accurately recount but he assumed some time in the following five seconds Obsidian had snatched the scarf off of Tabitha's head and danced away with it, giggling like a little girl. Tabitha was still cringing when she finally realized what happened.

"Give me back my scarf," she demanded.

"No. Everyone should see what you really are, you half-breed Anglican," Obsidian said.

Jim turned back to notice that auburn hair tumbled down Tabitha's back, but what was most startling were her ears. Or the wings that were where her ears would normally be. They fluttered in and out, like they were catching some imaginary breeze. Jim also noticed a considerable amount of color had flooded Tabitha's cheeks.

A cracking and shattering noise alerted Jim and he quickly looked around the room, checking all the windows. When they appeared fine, his eyes fell on the disheveled girl in front of him. She'd shattered the glass in her hand she'd been squeezing it so tight. Blood trickled down to mingle with the alcohol on the floor. Before Jim could make a move, the woman had her scarf and a hand on Obsidian's shoulder. She whispered something in her ear, making the gorgeous vixen pale before turning back to the others.

"My apologies, but I really must be going. Capt. Amelia, Capt. Monroe it was a pleasure to see you again. Capt. Hawkins, Altor, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other. I bid all of you good night," she said before spinning on her heel and towards the door. Jim thought he saw some tears brimming in her eyes but it happened so quickly he couldn't be sure of what he'd seen. No one spoke for a few moments as they tried to register what had happened.

"Well, good riddance to bad rubbish," Obsidian said, but the waver in her voice did not make it sound like she was convinced.

"Half-breed Anglican?" Jim asked.

"Anglicans are an ancient race of winged people who aren't well liked in today's day and age. They still exist there's no doubt, but they don't like outsiders and take to keeping to themselves. That's half of Tabitha's parentage, though I'm not sure about the other half," Amelia explained. Jim stared at her for a moment before turning to look at his mom. She seemed to be deep in thought, though still shaken up by the turn of events from the white still covering her face.

"Well Jim. I hope we can get together some time soon. And I mean, REALLY get together," she hummed into his ear. He politely shook her hand before she swaggered off, quickly followed by her entourage.

Altor leaned over, following the sexy woman's movements with his eyes. "Helluv an evening, eh?" he said.

"You got that right," Jim replied.

Author's Note: Ah, I do love Treasure Planet. It was a good movie, I don't care who you are. I'll try not to turn any of the characters OOC or anything. I like continuity too. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. The original ones are mine.

"Too bad it had to start raining on such an amazing night, huh Jim?" The man jerked out of his day dreaming and nodded to Altor. They were picking up the dishes and trash left over from the party Sarah had thrown to celebrate Jim's graduation. Well, Jim was cleaning, Altor was leaning back in a chair casually sipping from a bottle of what looked to be Barruge.

"Are you going to help or just sit around doing nothing?" Jim asked.

"I helped clean. I swept this room with a glance," the creature replied. He ducked as a cup flew at his head. "I guess I should take that as my invitation to leave. I'll talk to you later see ya'!" he yelled on his way out the door. Jim watched him out the window for a moment before setting down the plate he'd been brandishing. Luckily Altor's family had a house on Montressor because he probably wouldn't have been safe staying the night at the inn after that little escapade.

The plate shifted back into Morph, who promptly licked Jim's cheek. The man couldn't help but smile; he'd missed the little shape-shifter. The Academy hadn't allowed pets so Morph had had to stay back with Sarah and while he'd had plenty of excitement and fun with the Doppler's kids, he was still Jim's pet through-and-through.

"Has your friend already left?" Sarah asked as she exited the kitchen.

"Yeah, you just missed him. And so did I." He muttered the last bit under his breath causing his mother to raise an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's nothing important," he told her, setting the bin of dirty dishes on the bar. Something caught his eye and he picked up one of the homemade cards the Doppler kids had given him. That was one of the reasons they'd had this party. No children had been allowed at the graduation under the age of ten, which had bummed the Doppler's tots. So Sarah had promised a big party when they got back. Ben, who'd become their resident chef, had been left behind as babysitter and he was pretty good at it, though everyone had had some reservations the first time. BEN hadn't been repaired quite to the standard he should have been. All parties just thanked their lucky stars that nothing had burned down. Apparently they'd also been hard at work on presents during the time their parents had been away.

"You know they worked really hard on those," Sarah said coming to stand next to her son. Jim smiled and returned the card to the pile. Over the years he'd become Uncle Jim and would sometimes baby-sit the kids when Dilbert and Amelia wanted a night off and BEN was busy helping with the restaurant.

Jim looked over to find said robot wiping the tables, though he also seemed to be dancing to some imaginary tune. That worried the pilot a little, since he still didn't know much about robots and whether or not it was possible for them to do such a thing as enjoy music.

A little Jim landed on his shoulder, mimicking the worried look on his face.

"It's okay Morph. Nothing scary here," he told his pet.

A knock at the door caught his attention and Jim moved to get it but his mother just waved him off. He heard her open it just as he set the bin of dishes in the sink and heard a scream. His heart quickening, he sprinted back to the dining room.

His mother had the door open but it hadn't been her that screamed, it had been BEN, who gave them a sheepish look. The doorway was blocked by what appeared to be a large black blob. But a flash of lightening outside illuminated the entrance just enough to separate the one figure into two. Something moved forward, dragging the other along behind it. The smaller figure appeared to be somewhat carrying the larger on its back, though it was partly hanging off the mass was so large.

"A, a bed. He's hurt," the cloaked figure grunted. Sarah seemed to regain her senses and ran up the stairs. BEN hurled himself towards the kitchen, leaving Jim alone with the monstrous thing. "A little help, please. I won't be able to get him up the stairs myself." He ran forward and caught the other arm of the massive unconscious creature. The two of them hauled it up the stairs, though it took some straining and grunting on their part. It didn't help that their companion was pretty much dead weight and his feet were dragging on the floor.

When the bed was in sight, it seemed to give Jim and his companion renewed strength and they quickly hurried over and quickly plopped the body on the bed, which gave its own cry of defeat. It was then that Jim was able to get a better look at the man. His pulse began to race when he realized the right leg was prosthetic, and one he recognized.

"Help me flip him over," he said. With their joint effort, they were able to right the cyborg and even get him better positioned in the bed. "No," he breathed.

"What? Do you know him?" the cloaked figure asked.

"Silver…" was all he said. Jim'd almost believe he were dreaming if it weren't for the fact that he'd just lugged the unconscious Long John Silver up a flight of stairs. The pirate was the worse for the wear, his left arm bloodied as the sleeve of the coat had been torn away. What had been dried blood now dripped thanks to the rain down his forehead and Jim was sure he'd find a nasty head wound. Silver's right leg looked to have been repaired since their last meeting but something had tried to wrench it from its socket as blood seeped from that wound too.

"The infamous pirate. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a nasty fever too. We need to clean and bandage the wounds before they get infected. I wonder," the figure muttered but just as it turned BEN came in with a bowl of hot water and a med kit. They quickly got to work, his mother working on the left arm while Jim and their mysterious companion worked on the leg.

"Do you need anything else? Rags? Alcohol? An iron lung?" the robot asked.

"No but if we do you'll be the first I call," the stranger said. It seemed to position itself as if to get a better look. "I can't tell if it's detached, can you?"

"No. We'd have to go in and operate but I'm not proficient in prosthetics. Could you do it?" The figure moved the pant leg and cautiously opened the wound a little more, dabbing at the oozing blood. The stranger's face was slightly illuminated by a nearby candle by which Jim could finally determine their companion was female. Her face ran through a whole track of emotions, from frustration to anger to worry, before finally settling on determined.

"I don't think the bone has detached from the artificial socket, but I'm guessing the neuron cables have come unattached. I could probably sew it back on but I risk the wound getting infected. He really needs to get this looked at by a proper doctor, or at least a mechanic who specializes in these sorts of things. We'll leave it open and try to stem the bleeding. Hand me that bag over there," she said. Jim grabbed the discarded bag and quickly dug through. He brought out several pouches before the girl indicated which one.

"Can't see anyway," their companion muttered as she tossed back the hood. It took a moment before Jim could remember where he'd seen that face before. The girl untied the pouch with her teeth and held down the prosthetic.

"We_"

"Can talk later. Try and hold him down. This will hurt," she said. He moved to hold Silver's right arm just as she sprinkled some powder on the wound. The pirate instantly wailed and started thrashing.

"HOLD HIM!" she yelled. Jim tried to throw his weight on top, his mother mimicking him. They barley managed to hold on as she applied the antiseptic. It seemed like forever but the girl finally finished and tossed Sarah the pouch.

"His arm. Quickly," she said as she threw her own weight on top. Apparently the arm was worse, because he nearly threw both Jim and the girl across the room. It was by a stroke of luck that they both happened to be holding onto the arms that they didn't go flying. They quickly bandaged the arm and leg and their visitor cleaned and stitched the head wound.

"He's got a massive fever. Ma'am, could I ask you to make some tea with the items in this pouch?" she asked, handing Sarah a different bag. The woman nodded and left. The two young people watched the pirate thrash around on the bed, obviously in pain but not much they could do.

"You're Tabitha, aren't you?" Jim asked.

"I prefer Tobi."

"Tobi?"

"It's misleading for a reason. You need to find a doctor, particularly one who isn't too unaccustomed to keeping secrets. I suggest you go now, since the rain will keep prying eyes at bay," she said. Jim didn't have to be told twice. He was down the stairs and out the door pulling on his coat before anyone could blink.

The fire crackled in the wee hours of the early morning and although his body was exhausted, Jim's mind was too keyed up for him to go to sleep. Dr. Barri had come at his request, though it had taken some persuasion on his part for the doctor to keep his silence about treating a wanted criminal. The doctor, his mother and Tabitha, or Tobi as she liked to be called, had been with Silver for several hours as Jim waited on standby in the dining room, in case he needed to run out for something.

A yawn caught his attention and he watched as Tobi ventured over to stand by the fire. She stared at it, the flames dancing in her eyes. He noticed for the first time that she was wearing a rather nice dress, the brown vest hugging her figure. The dress itself was a moss green which did little to compliment her eyes but it was made of some fine material.

"The doctor gone?" she asked and Jim hoped she hadn't seen the little jump he'd given in surprise.

"Yeah, he left a while ago. How's Silver doing?" he asked.

"Sleeping. BEN and Morph are watching over him. Your mother went to bed a while ago, which both of us should probably do," she said.

"I would if I weren't so awake. How did you come across Silver?" he asked. The man walked over to the bar and poured two cups of coffee. Jim watched as the girl sat down in a chair and held her head in her hands. When he returned he dangled the cup and she took it without looking.

"Thank you," she muttered, taking a long sip. A contented sigh left her and Jim felt at least a little better. "I was walking home from dinner with my family when I happened to notice some movement down an alleyway. When I went to investigate, Silver was flailing around, barely able to stand and babbling like a madman. As soon as he saw me though he fainted. I was just able to catch him. I don't know why I made him faint. Maybe he was scared or perhaps he thought he could trust me," she said.

"Or maybe he was too far out of his mind to know any better," Jim replied. Tobi glared at him but he simply took a sip of coffee.

"ANYWAY, before he completely passed out, he muttered something about the Benbow Inn and figured I should bring him here. Lucky for me it wasn't too far from where I found him but he's no lightweight." She took a sip of her own coffee, letting the conversation hang in the air.

"Where do you live?" She looked at him and raised an eyebrow but Jim raised a hand in defense. "Hey, I can't let someone walk home this late on such a miserable night. If it's too far we'll let you stay here," he told her. She still looked skeptical but smiled.

"Thank you for the offer but I really don't live that far from here. Just down by the docks." Tobi reached up and took off the scarf that held back her hair. It also let her "ears" free, which again fluttered from time-to-time like they were caught in an invisible breeze. She must have noticed him staring because she reached up to cover the one closest to him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," he said.

"No, everyone does it. Most people hate Anglicans anyway, not that I necessarily blame them," she muttered. Without thinking, he reached out and touched the tip of the wing. It skittered under his touch but was as soft as velvet. The girl pulled away a little.

"Does that hurt?"

"N-no, I'm just not used to people touching them. Usually they try to get as far away from me as possible when they find out what I am."

"And what exactly are you?"

"Part Anglican on my father's side, a quarter Resora and quarter human on my mother's side. A strange combination I know."

"Yeah. The Anglican and human I can see but what about the Resora? Captain Flint was a Resora and I can't imagine seeing any of him in you," Jim said.

"Funny you should mention Flint. He's actually…my grandfather." Jim nearly choked on his coffee. Tobi patted his back, generally concerned. The man wasn't sure whether to find it shocking or hilarious.

"You're joking."

"Nope. Flint met my grandmother, Vivian in one of the brothels on…some planet, I can never remember. Anyway, they fell in love and he brought her back here to Montressor so they could raise their family. He of course made enough money where she wouldn't have to continue her trade and they were a happy enough family. They had three daughters, my two aunts and my mother. Mom inherited more of grandmother's human traits so that's why I don't look to have any Resora in me. Anyway, Flint apparently sailed away one day and never returned. Grandmother was never sad that he didn't return but she was…disappointed."

"Did they ever get married?" This was part of the stories and legends about Flint that Jim had never heard. He was more than a little interested.

"Are you kidding? Of course not. They were a pair of lawbreakers. Getting married would have been completely against what they believed in. Ah, the pirate fell in love with the prostitute. There's a story for the ages," she said.

"And what about your parents?" he asked. A sad look flickered through her eyes so quickly Jim wasn't sure if he hadn't imagined it.

"They met when my mom was in a wrestling tournament." Jim's eyebrows raised so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "Strange I know but it's how they met. Dad was visiting Montressor on an ambassador mission when some of the other men dragged him to the wrestling tournament. From what I hear, Dad fell in love with Mom at first sight, though I don't think it was the same for her."

"Why?"

"Because when he went to talk to her, she nearly hurled him into a dumpster thinking he was some annoying reporter." Jim couldn't help it at this point. He burst out into laughter. Tears started streaming down his face and he was holding his sides. Well, the best he could anyway with a cup of coffee in one hand.

"So, so your mom, this she-man, nearly incapacitated your father and he was still infatuated with her?"

"I guess that act made him love her all the more. He was able to subdue her before she actually hurled him which surprised and intrigued her because let's face it, not many guys could compete on her level. They went on their first date and the rest is history."

"And how are your parents now."

"Dead." The man was sure his heart skittered. He looked over at his companion but she was staring at the fireplace.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. It happened when I was four. I barely remember them and what can you miss when there's nothing there and little to remember," she said. Jim could relate a little. His own father had left when he was just eight and he hadn't seen him since. Occasionally he thought of the man but it was less and less nowadays.

"So how exactly did you meet Silver," Tobi countered. _Changing subjects._ It was then that Jim launched into the narrative of how he'd met Billy Bones and come into possession of the map to Treasure Planet. Silver was a part of the crew Dr. Doppler had hired as well as Captain Amelia. How they'd sailed the galaxy and he and Silver had gotten really close. Then the betrayal, finding and then ultimately losing the treasure, a death-defying escape from an exploding planet and the rebuilding of the Benbow.

"After that, I left for the Interstellar Academy. I haven't seen Silver since that day, up 'til now," he said. She stared at him which made Jim squirm a little under her gaze. Tobi got up and walked over to the fire place.

"Sounds like quite the adventure."

"Yeah it was." She didn't say anything and the silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. Jim half considered going to bed since his eyelids were growing heavy.

"What would you say to another one of those adventures?" That got his attention.

"Where?"

"The Anglican homeworld, Marias. It's far out on the edges of the galaxy. Very few people have ever been there and even fewer have ever come back. You don't seem like the type where I could possibly persuade you with money, though I will pay. But the danger, intrigue and going to places very few people have ever been before. Does that sound like something you'd like to be a part of?" she asked. Tobi was facing him, her figure silhouetted by the fire. Jim could almost feel the passion for this coming off her. This was something she wanted, and hoped he wanted it too.

Truth be told, he did.

"Yes," he said.

Author's Note: OMG this chapter kicked my ass! It's taken me forever to get through it. Anyway, I appreciate the reviews and hope people are enjoying it. I always appreciate helpful hints to make the story better. And even I'm hoping this character doesn't turn out to be a Mary-Sue. I'm trying. Please review!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Do not own Treasure Planet or its characters.**

Jim turned over for what felt like the umpteenth time in as many hours. It took some convincing on his part, but he managed to get Tobi to stay the night in one of the guest rooms. While Jim would have liked to have stayed up and watched over Silver he just couldn't do anything until the cyborg woke up. Plus he was truly worn out both physically and mentally and sleep seemed like a good idea. BEN had volunteered to stay up and watch the patient with Morph, since the little shape shifter seemed utterly determined to stay by the cyborg's side.

So Jim had left it in their hands. But going to bed had proved a futile effort as well. If he wasn't worrying about Silver, he was trying to find some hidden motivation behind Tobi's offer.

He'd agreed to this "adventure" a veritable stranger had offered him and for what? So she was one of his classmates, that didn't make them automatic friends. Was it really worth his life and his career to follow some story that she could have cooked up to trick him? There was something he knew he was missing but he couldn't seem to place it.

But what point was there in tricking him? To make a fool out of him. But they barely knew each other. What did she have to gain from any of it? Other than the fact that she knew he was a rising star in the world of space captains, she didn't know him. Maybe she had more information on him that even he didn't know about.

Still, it just didn't add up. There really wasn't anything in it for her to gain except maybe some closure and notoriety of being able to go to the Anglican planet and return with riches and glory. Jim had to role his eyes at that one. What were they, conquistadors?

Groaning, he rolled over and could see the slits of sunlight on the back of his eyelids. _Well all that thinking's gotten me nowhere. And I'm still so exhausted,_ he thought. Deciding that rather than attempt to fain sleep, he'd get up and start work in the kitchen. He also wanted to check on Silver before the regular customers began to arrive for breakfast. He quickly dressed and was at the top of the stairs when BEN popped his head out of the guest room.

"Hey, Jim," he whispered. The young man turned to see the robot casting a rather amused grin and motioning him over. "A certain someone's awake and I know he'd be glad to see you."

It only took Jim a second to realize who he was talking about before rushing back to the guest room and letting himself in. While the blinds had almost blacked out the room, there was a little light coming from a few candles that had been lit. Morph was curled up fast asleep on the old man's shoulder. The old cyborg still looked the worst-for-the-ware being ridiculously bloody and bruised but he was awake and smiled when he recognized Jim in the doorway.

"'Ey Jimbo," he said. The young man was stunned for a few moments before going over to the bed and taking the stool next to the pirate. BEN gently murmured something about sentimental moments before finally leaving.

"Silver," he replied and was glad that the room was dark so that Silver couldn't see the slight misting in his eyes. "Seems you got yourself into a bit of trouble there. Care to explain what happened?" The old cyborg laughed but erupted into a coughing fit. His whole body seemed to shake and convulse which greatly worried Jim. But the fit eventually subsided and the cyborg buried back into the pillows to make himself comfortable.

"Eh, you've never been one to beat around the bush, have ya Jimbo? Eh, I did indeed get myself into a sticky situation, though I'm not quite sure 'ow I ended up in this charming little inn. Take it this be your humble abode?" he said, looking around the room. Jim nodded.

"You had a savior looking out for you."

"Oh? Well that be mighty thoughtful. I'd like to meet this savior."

"I don't think she's up yet-"

"I am," a voice called from the door. Jim turned to see that Tobi didn't seem too awake herself and that her night might not have been any better than his. Her hair was mussed and he could see from the lights of the candles that she had bags under her eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled to within an inch of their life, as if she hadn't bothered to remove them before hitting the mattress. Even her wings seemed to be drooping. She shuffled into the room, yawning and stretching. "I came to check on my patient. Or rather, the patient. Whatever. Anyway, how do you feel this morning?"

"Oh, I've been better," Silver said, looking for all the world like a puppy that had been beaten. He was even attempting puppy-dog eyes. The key word being "attempt" as Silver did not have the face to pull off cute and sympathetic. Jim covered up his laughter by coughing and Tobi raised her eyebrow. She was not amused.

"I hope so because you look like hell," she said. Jim couldn't cover up his laughing as well this time and Silver looked as if his ego had taken a hit. "Hey, I calls it like I sees it. We had a doctor to look at you, and he did the best he could, but to be perfectly honest you need a proper medical facility."

"I tink you can guess that that's out of the question."

"Yeeeaaah," she signed, plopping down across Silver's covered legs. They both winced when they heard her back hit metal and she grimaced but shifted around until she found a reasonably comfortable position. "Geez, you're lumpy. Well, back to business. I have a proposition for you," she said, a smile blossoming on her face. Jim recognized that grin and he only wished that Silver had more backbone than he did. "Since you're going to be something of a burden for at least a couple of months, then I'd like you to accompany us on a little voyage. Think of it as a means of repayment. Jim here has already agreed and I feel that even if you aren't completely healed you still may be of some use to us. What say you?"

Silver studied her face through her speech. The young woman had casually seated herself between his legs and seemed perfectly at ease. But there was something in her eyes, hidden behind that smile that he could see was fake and forced. He had a feeling that this young woman wouldn't take no for an answer.

"And, what if I say no?" he asked. Her smile drooped a fraction but a particularly vicious glint began to glimmer in her eyes.

"Well, I could turn you into the authorities, but somehow I don't think you're very afraid of them," she said. Silver was right. This girl was smart. Her fingers pulled back the cover over his artificial leg and while he could feel her slightly pull and tug at it, he couldn't see exactly what she was doing. Even Jim didn't have a good view of whatever she was doing.

"That being said, I would threaten you with your freedom," Tobi said, showing him a handful of screws and bolts. It took a moment, but then Silver was frantically pulling his leg up, ignoring the shots of pain that threatened him. Sure enough, she'd disconnected the peg from the rest of the leg. Jim would have stopped her, but she was already up and moving towards the door. She turned before exiting.

"Believe me, I wouldn't need to hand you over to the authorities to make your life miserable after completely disabling you. I could just put you in a dark room with only one working leg, arm and eye. You'd go stark raving mad. You'd probably prefer the police to the miserable fate I would give you," she said. Her eyes were no longer a mild green but much darker and deeper, almost black. The bits in her hand clinked as they rolled together. "So I ask again. What say you?"

Silver couldn't believe it. Few people got the upper hand of old Long John Silver and this little girl, in the span of about five minutes had not only gained the upper hand but had him trapped in a corner. He slumped back against the head board, wincing as he realized just how much pain he was in.

"It seems, lil' lady, that I ain't got much choice. Ya got yerself a deal," he said. She beamed him a happy bright smile and went back to Jim to hand him the parts. Before either could reprimand her, she was out the door and they could hear her footsteps as she made her way down the stairs. They both stared at the doorway for a minute before Jim went to work reattaching the peg.

"Ya best watch yerself lad. She's a doozy," Silver said.

"You got that right," Jim muttered, feeling dread settle like a lead weight on his stomach.

AN: Oh my gosh! I actually got another chapter done. I'm sorry to those of you who have been enjoying the story and I haven't been updating. I'm such a hypocrite. Oh, well. I'll try to be better. So what do you think of Tobi? She went all nasty on them and really threatened Silver. I didn't want her to be some goody two-shoes. She has some skeletons in her closet. She isn't afraid to get her hands dirty to get what she wants. Let me know what you think. Again, sorry for taking so long to update.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Do not own Treasure Planet or its characters.**

Jim felt exhausted, even though he'd gotten a full night's rest. He rubbed his eyes, willing the sand to finally cease and desist its insistent grating.

The frown that had now become a permanent feature inserted more premature laugh lines and it only made him more tired. The reason? A little someone named Tabitha making their lives a living hell at the Benbow.

Well, not all their lives. Sarah had taken a liking to the young woman, who was as gracious and courteous as they came. She helped with dishes and meals and chores, telling everyone it was her way of repaying their kindness since Silver obviously couldn't do it.

BEN was also smitten, because Tobi could be a real chatterbox. About what? It seemed like nothing. Every time Jim caught even a hint of their conversation it was centered around trumpets or snapdragons or the upcoming Find-the-Snaffer tournament. Their conversations never seemed to hit the same topic twice, which was perfect for a scatter-brained robot like BEN. Not to mention she'd dance with him whenever the urge hit.

And then there was Morph, the little traitor. At first, he'd been standoffish of her, just like Jim and Silver. But one day he'd gone outside and found himself pinned by one very hungry cat. It didn't help that Morph kept shifting into creatures that most cats found delectable out of fear. He was a goner until a certain someone came up and literally swept that cat off its feet, chasing the rotten thing out of the yard. Well after that, Morph was all about his 'savior' and Jim had lost a supporter in his campaign.

Not that Tobi had been especially mean to them. In fact, she'd been quite nice and was over every morning and most days to keep an eye on Silver's recovery. She was friendly and polite with both of them, even though neither Jim or Silver tried to make conversation. It didn't seem to bother her in the least, as she would dress the pirate's wounds and manage to keep up steady chatter.

No, what made them wary of her was what they knew was underneath the surface. That threat she'd made to Silver months ago still hung in the air. Oh she knew it was there as well, but never mentioned it. Acted like it'd never happened. But they always double-checked to make sure their valuables were still where they kept them when she left a room.

Despite all that, Silver was making a fast recovery. A little over a month ago he'd finally gotten the okay to get out of bed and move around a little. For a while that meant just walking around the second floor but a few weeks ago he made it up and down the stairs without any assistance, which was a big step in the right direction.

Of course that also meant they were closer to the little 'adventure' Tobi had promised them, of which she'd now started dogging them and they'd taken every opportunity to avoid her. She'd made it perfectly clear that she had every intention of Silver coming on this voyage while he was still recovering, to which the both protested but Tobi ignored.

Which brought Jim back to today. He was on his way to see the Dopplers, partly because he missed them, and partly because he needed any excuse to get out of the inn.

He ambled his way up the front walk and without pausing to knock went in. "Hey, anyone home? It's Jim," he called. For a few moments, it was silent. Then-

"Jim!"

"Uncle Jim!"

"Hey!" he cried as he was assaulted from all sides by small squirming bodies. The Doppler's kids were probably about the friendliest bunch he'd ever met, not that he'd met many. But they loved him and Sarah and everyone at the Benbow as much as their parents and with just as much passion.

Setting each one in front of him, he took a moment to take stock. Little Sophie, who was the oldest and the budding artist, stared up at him in wonder with her bright eyes. Her blonde hair was held back with a decorative flower clip, which he assumed she'd made herself. Jaqueline, or Jackie as she preferred to be called, was a tall skinny thing, even taller than her brother, Nickolas. She was their resident tomboy, always getting in wrestling matches with her brother or some of the local boys. Her brown hair was sprouting from her head like weeds, as if she'd been caught in a wind tunnel. And then there was Madeline, who wasn't the youngest but was definitely the smallest. She was also very shy and even now was hiding behind Sophie, her thumb stick in her mouth.

"Hey Uncle Jim, what are you doing here? Have you gotten any missions? Oh, is that why you're here today, to recruit your crew?" Nick asked.

"Oh, we could do it, Uncle Jim! You know we could!" Jackie parroted. Jim couldn't help but chuckle. Their enthusiasm was incorrigible and they were the spitting images of their parents, all of them. Even the ones who didn't seem like it were adventurers at heart.

He patted Nick's head. "You could say I've got a mission. But I really need to talk to your parents. Do you know where they are?" he asked. They nodded like a bunch of lemmings and dragged him off towards the kitchen.

What greeted him was a sight he'd seen before but would never get used to. Amelia was draped in a white apron, sprinkled liberally with flour and seemed to be arguing with Dilbert, who incidentally was wearing quite possible the frilliest and pinkest apron Jim had ever laid eyes on. He too was covered in a generous layer of flour.

"I don't know how you manage to do it Dilbert but every time-"

"Me? I'm not the one lacking in culinary skills as you may well know_"

This could've gone on longer but Jim felt it was time to save them from the embarrassment. He made sure to clear his throat VERY loudly, startling the other adults. Dilbert at least looked a little ashamed, but Amelia only smiled brightly and whipped off her apron. It seemed he was the perfect excuse to get rid of the thing.

"Jim! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here? Come, let's go into the library. I hope my children haven't been too much of a bother," she said.

"Never," he told her and took his favorite seat by the window. The library was probably one of his favorite rooms of the Doppler residence. It was large and yet still managed to be cozy. The children looked like they had half-a-mind to join them but at that moment Dilbert came along and told them to find entertainment elsewhere. There was a collective groan, but they dispersed. At least they gave the impression of dispersing. Jim was pretty sure they would be behind one of the doors listening in. He knew that's what he would've done.

"So what brings you by, Jim my boy?" the doctor asked. He handed Amelia a towel before taking a seat. It was interesting to watch the two of them, because as much as the bickered and squabbled, they were still very attentive to each others needs.

Jim slumped back in his chair. "It's…complicated," he said. They looked at him expectantly, but he was reluctant to divulge any more information. "There's…this girl," he began.

"Oooohhhh," the pair choursed, forcing Jim upright.

"No it's not what you're thinking! That girl, Tabitha, the one from the Interstellar Academy came by and offered me a job. Except…I'm not so sure about it now," he told them. That of course was putting it delicately. He put his head in his hands as he realized in about another month he'd be sailing into the Creator-only-knows-what.

The Dopplers looked at each other, but neither knew how much help they might be. Dilbert walked over and put a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Where exactly would you be going?" he asked.

"Marias." There was an audible gasp and Jim looked expectantly at Captain Amelia, but she just shook her head and indicated the doctor. His expression…well, Jim wasn't sure if it was elation, shock or he was having palpitations. Then, before the young man could blink, Dilbert had him by the shoulders and was vigorously shaking him.

"You must go! You must! This is the chance of a lifetime! It's just like Treasure Planet, except bigger! You'll be encountering a species of people few get to meet or study in their lifetime! By the Creator, this is extraordinary!" he cried. Jim was stunned and unable to speak, and it seemed the Captain was afflicted with the same curse.

And just as quickly as the light had dawned in the doctor's eyes, it dimmed and died. "Ah, but I can't go. I have, responsibilities here," he muttered and scuffed his foot. He looked like some young pup that had just gotten his candy taken from him. Jim felt bad, because as an astrophysicist Dilbert spent most of his time in a lab or with his nose buried in a book. Rarely, he got to go out and actually experience what he studied, like with Treasure Planet.

Amelia finally went over and put a hand on Dilbert's shoulder. "I know you want to go, but we have our children to think of. We can't just go gallivanting off into an adventure. What if something were to happen to us? Who would take care of our children?" she said. Jim could see that a similar light was dying in Amelia's eyes, and he was suddenly realized how much she had given up for her family. She was an adventurer to her very core, but for the safety and well being of her children, she often captained shipping vessels which was less than ideal for someone of her caliber. He felt guilty for dangling such a prize in front of them, but in that moment a plan began to take root in his mind.

"Well, what if I asked Mom and BEN to watch the kids and you two could come with us?" he said. They looked at him, wary of what he was suggesting.

"I don't know Jim. It's a generous offer but I don't think we can impose like that on your mother. I know BEN would love it but…well, Sarah's getting older and I'm not sure if she can handle four rambunctious children. Not to mention you'll be the captain and Tabitha is an excellent navigator so there's really no reason for me or Dilbert to go," the Captain replied.

"Just…let me ask her. I don't think she would mind, really. And I think it would be fantastic to have to another more experienced captain on board. I don't think Tobi is very confident in my abilities."

"Who?"

"That's what Tabitha likes to be called."

"Ah. But then why would she ask you if she wasn't confident in your abilities?"

"There are…varying reasons. But that's besides the point. Tobi is going to be the navigator but she doesn't cosmic events like the Doctor. Remember on our way to Treasure Planet? That supernova? The doctor's information saved our lives. I very much doubt she's gotten information like that stored under her hat." Both Dilbert and Amelia seemed to be considering his argument and it looked like they were silently conversing with each other.

"Besides, the two of you seem to agree that this is the trip of a lifetime. Do you really want to pass that up?" He knew he was crossing a line and the captain let him know just that with the look she gave him. But it seemed to have been the straw.

"If Sarah agrees that it's alright, then yes. We'll go," Amelia said. Jim jumped up to embrace her, but snickered when he saw the doctor doing a little dance. The captain turned to glare and Dilbert at least had the decency to look sheepish.

Jim couldn't help but laugh. Although he cut it short when he remembered the one important detail he'd left out: That Long John Silver would be joining them. He would have to figure out some way to get the pirate on the ship without Amelia and Dilbert noticing, and when they did find him which he knew they would, they'd be too far out in space for either to contact any authorities.

But he was happy that his two old companions would be joining him. Because if it had just been him, Silver and Tobi, he'd probably toss himself overboard five minutes after leaving port. Silver would just have to fend for himself.

AN: Gah! Evil chapter! I hate chapters like this that are necessary to the progression of the story, but damn if it isn't stubborn and awkward to write. It's like the characters want to be OOC or something. Anyway, I'm hoping to work some more on my fics.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. **

Jim squinted against the harsh Montressor sun and scowled. For a day when everything felt like it was crashing down around him, the weather sure wasn't cooperating.

The day had finally arrived when Jim, Dilbert, Amelia and Silver were to be joining Tobi on her trip to Marias. She'd been relatively calm for the past few days but when Jim had tried to talk to her about how they planned to move the pirate, she'd just brushed him off and told him not to worry about it.

So it had come as a great surprise to him when he woke up this morning and found that Long John Silver was no longer in his bed. Well, he had known that they would be moving Silver to the ship, but he'd been convinced that he would be a part of it.

He'd searched the inn, but the pirate didn't turn up. And even stranger was neither his mother nor BEN had heard anything. Even Morph was at a loss. Jim knew Tobi could lug the pirate by herself, she'd proved that on the night she'd found him. But Silver could move on his own now, so she'd probably walked right out with him. Still, the fact that no one heard anything at all during the night was highly suspicious. Cyborgs weren't exactly known for their stealth.

Which was why Jim was in a hurry to find the ship and get to the bottom what exactly had happened the night before. He was genuinely curious to finally get to see the boat he'd be piloting but he was too preoccupied with other matters at the moment.

"Slow down, Jim. We've got plenty of time before we leave," Dilbert shouted. The space port was so crowded it was almost impossible to hear him over the din of the mass. But Jim didn't slow down. Tobi was three steps ahead of him and he didn't like how much leverage she was holding over his head.

A hand grasped his shoulder and it was only by the Creators grace he didn't flip the owner it startled him so much. Amelia looked at him worriedly, and for a panicked moment he thought she knew. But instead she thrust a thumb over her shoulder.

"You missed the dock," she said, indicating one of the bays. On first glance, they could only spot one large cargo ship. But as passed it, the _Madame _started coming into view.

Jim had to admit, it was something of an impressive vessel. Larger than the one they'd flown to Treasure Planet, it was still sleek in design and the young captain could see that whoever had commissioned it had speed in mind. As they got closer, however, the ships age became apparent. It was weathered and dinged and while old boards had been replaced over time, a lot of the ship was still using its original materials. He estimated that it was at least forty or fifty years old, which worried him a little.

A head popped out over the side and smiled. "Hey! Glad you're all here! Come on up and help me get ready!" Tobi yelled. They walked up the plank and found that the deck was, while weathered and old like the rest of the ship, clean and in working order. Jim looked over the side and saw men filling up the galley and storage with provisions. Since Jim had made it abundantly clear to Tobi that should Captain Amelia find out they were harboring a space fugitive she'd have everyone's hide on trial, the girl had indicated she'd find some way to hide the pirate on board the ship until it was too late. He made a mental note to see if that was where Silver was stashed.

"Welcome to the _Madame_!" Tobi cried. She seemed genuinely happy to have them all there, but he wasn't giving her the benefit of the doubt just yet.

"The _Madame_?" Dilbert asked.

"Yeah, it was a gift from my dad to my mom, and as a joke she named it the Madame in honor of her mother," Tobi told them. Dilbert and Amelia exchanged looks, which forced Jim to hide his laugh under a cough. "Grandma was a prostitute."

That got both their faces red and Jim coughed some more, although it wasn't fooling anybody. He finally managed to get himself under control and glanced over the deck.

"Uh, Tobi?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's the rest of the crew?"

"You're looking at it," she said, hefting a box on her shoulder. The small group stared at her as she blew a stray hair out of her face. "I can't afford a crew. We're lucky I can afford the provisions we're getting. But you don't need to worry. I've sailed this bad boy many times before by myself. Go ahead and get settled below deck. Most of the rooms are empty, save for the Satellite and Rising Sun rooms," she told them before heading down to storage. They were all rather dumbfounded, since none of them really expected to…you know, 'work' on this quest.

Jim headed down into where the sleeping quarters were and was surprised to find a hallway with several doors leading off of it. Usually the majority of the crew slept in hammocks below deck and only the captain or a select few actually got quarters. But then this was more like a cruise liner than a star ship so he wasn't completely surprised. As he walked he heard the thrum of the galley and engines below them. It was settling to feel that humming reach down into his bones.

He picked the Nova room and was surprised when he opened the door at how large the room was. It had a regular sized bed, a small desk, some shelves and a small basin to wash up in. All of this and there was still plenty of room for him to move around and generally live comfortably. Even Silver would find this spacious considering the pirate's large bulk.

He threw his stuff on the bed before heading back up top. The first thing he saw as he ascended the stairs was Tobi's back. He was about to call out to her when he saw that her back was tensed up and it looked as if she'd locked her head to stand straight. This was quickly followed by what he would've liked to describe as cackling.

"God, this hunk of junk still floats?"

"You really are a disappointment, aren't you?" Two very large, feathery hats peeked over the ships rim but what followed after was…well, Jim couldn't find the appropriate words for it until they were halfway to Marias. What would later come to him was it looked like a couple of roaches had fallen into a vat of toxic waste and come out not only mutated but sprouting almost human features. But rather than beautifying the two…women it was just awkward and clumsy.

Tabitha would later tell them that her two cousins were actually quite beautiful by Resorian standards. He would just have to take her word for it.

But regardless of who or what they were, they were certainly decked out like they owned the place and then some. Tobi however, seemed less than happy to see them if her stiff posture was any indication.

"What are you two doing here?" she hissed, making Jim wince like she spat acid. The one decked out in blue flipped what looked like hair over her shoulder, which was a parroted movement because it was unnatural on the Resoran.

"Oh, you know. Mother still acts like she cares what you do, although I'm sure it's more contractual obligation and not real concern. But she wanted us to make the grandiose effort and try to persuade you to quit this nonsense and come home. You know, stop acting like a grease monkey and start acting like a lady of station. Although I highly doubt that that's even possible for you." Her sister burst out in a fit of giggles like it was the funniest thing in the world and Jim's wince morphed into a cringe. He thought Tobi would too but her face remained still as though it were etched in stone.

"Well, you wasted your time. Tell Auntie she can just leave me the hell alone from now on_"

"Oh," the blue one said suddenly, having caught sight of the young man. She… 'sashayed' her way over to him, her sister following right behind. A real vision in red, for all the good it did slimming her. "Emmy, darling. Where are your manners? Who is this handsome young fellow?" she cooed. It made Jim's skin crawl and he looked to Tobi for help. But she seemed hell bent on trying to cook those two with a look.

"That would be Captain James Hawkins. He'll be the captain on our voyage, along with Captain Amelia Doppler," she told them. But it was clear that all they heard was 'Captain.'

"Oh, a Captain. What a…glamorous profession," the taller girl said. She was pushing out her bosom, like that would do anything for him and unfortunately her companion was trying to mimic her.

"For crying out loud! Sapphire, Ruby, get off him! God, he goes anymore green and he's going to lose his lunch all over you! I need him in top shape to fly," Tobi said as she pried the two Resorans off him. Well it was nice to know she had her priorities straight. "For a couple of ladies, you're practically dry humping him. What would Aunties have to say about that?"

"They wouldn't have anything to say because they'd never know," the one called Sapphire said matter of factly, to which Tobi gave her a look that practically screamed, _Do you know who you're talking to?__For a moment the Resoran female looked nonplussed, trying to call bluff on Tabitha's argument. But when the young woman stood her ground, Sapphire started to panic. "You wouldn't?"_

_ "And what makes you think so? You've known me all my life and you don't think I wouldn't tell your mom that you were throwing yourself around like some wanton hussie just to make your life miserable? If that's what you think, then you are far dumber than I thought," was Tobi's final reply. _

_ "What do you want?" So she was going to try and bribe the girl to keep her quiet__. Jim was suddenly glad that he didn't know his extended family. _

_ "I want you to get the hell of my boat and leave me the fuck alone. Relay the message to Auntie, word-for-word." Sapphire scowled, looking like she was fighting with herself over the whole thing. Ruby looked on, terrified at what the outcome might be. But then the taller girl just heaved a big sigh and fixed her hat._

_ "Fine. I never wanted to come here any way. Come on Ruby, we've wasted enough time here," she threw at her partner and they sauntered their way over to the gang plank. But not before they both turned and blew him a final kiss. It took a lot of effort on Jim's part not to visibly shudder. _

_ When the two were out of sight, he saw Tobi visibly relax. "Who were those two?" he asked._

_ "My cousins, Sapphire and Ruby. Their mothers are my aunts and you can see that they inherited more of Captain Flint's DNA than I did." They stood for a few moments watching the crowd, letting the __moment drift away. Then Jim remembered something that Sapphire had said._

_ "She called you Emmy," he started but stopped when he noticed the tensing in her shoulders. "Um, sorry."_

_ "No, it's fine. I just wish she hadn't brought it up. See, when my parents died I went to live with Sapphire and Ruby and their families. Both of my Aunts hated my mother, and so in a bid to erase her memory, they had my name changed to Emerald, to continue the asinine __desire to name all of their offspring after gems. It wasn't until I turned eighteen, joined the Interstellar Academy and moved out that I changed my name back. But Sapphire and Ruby make it a point to call me that because they know I hate it. I swear they absorbed their mother's hatred by osmosis it's so uncanny. They find joy in making my life miserable. Hell, the whole family gets a kick out of it. Although thankfully they've found other endeavors to occupy their time since I left so I see less and less of them."_

_ "But after you graduated, didn't you move back home?" he asked. She gave him an incredulous look._

_ "You've met them. Given a choice, do you really think I'd choose to move back in with my tormentors? No. I've been living here and stayed here whenever I had holidays off from the Academy." For a moment, he was confused by what 'here' was. Then it hit him__._

_ "The boat's your home?"_

_ "Yeah. It just makes sense that I would live in a house I owned, even if it is a boat."_

_ "But don't you have, I don't know, a stationary home?"_

_ "That burned down in the fire with my parents. This is all I have left of them, and I had to work during my study to keep it. Otherwise it would've gone to my Aunts and no doubt they would've sold or burnt it. Besides, I needed a place to stay after I graduated and I wasn't going to go back to that hellhole if I had anything to say about it. But enough chatting, we have work to do," she said and went back to inspecting ropes. _

_ Jim was shocked. He loved sailing, but he was also really happy to have an actual house to come back to at the end of his missions. Of course, given the family she would've been forced to "inherit," he'd find a way to live comfortably, even in cramped quarters. Besides, this was a large enough boat for their motley crew, it was probably plenty big for just one person. _

_ "So when you say you were heading home at night_"_

_ "Sheesh, you're like a dog with a bone. Yes, this ship was up until last night parked at the Montressor dock. I moved it to the space port because I can acquire better gear out hereNow get to work, I want to leave early if it's possible. We have a long way to go." Which Jim was going to do until she mentioned having moved the ship last night. _

_ "That reminds me, what happened?" She looked up at him with a blank expression._

_ "What?"_

_ "You know. What happened?"_

_ "…I don't know what you're talking about."_

_ "Our guest just mysteriously disappeared last night without a sound and I know you had something to do with it so spill." She looked befuddled, but Jim wasn't fooled. He knew she was trying to play __him._

_ "Dude, seriously. Now is not the time for this, there is a ship that needs readying. If you don't want to do this, you're welcome to back out. I still have Captain Amelia_"_

_ "No, I'm doing this," he said in such a way that it broached no argument. For a split second, so fast he was almost sure he'd imagined it she __grinned like a mad person. But then it was gone and she was invested in her ropes again. _

_ Jim was certain now that he was going to have to watch his back with her._

_**AN: I wanted to skip directly to this chapter after I'd finished Chapter 3 but then I realized that I needed a reason for the Dopplers to be there and that's where Chapter 4 came into play and god it was such an awful chapter to write. Because it was hard to come up with a convincing scenario where they would willingly leave their children to go on an adventure. This chapter actually turned out harder than I'd wanted it to be, although I enjoyed writing Sapphire and Ruby. It's so easy to write mean characters. That probably says something about me but I won't think about it right now. **__** Thank you for reading and reviewing!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. Tobi is mine.**

Jim flopped down in a seat at the galley table, exhausted. They'd set off not long after noon, and while he had hoped he'd spend more time at the wheel it was not to be. He'd been given tasks that would normally be assigned to cabin boys like washing the deck and letting loose the sails. It brought about pangs of nostalgia and irritancy. When he thought he had a moment's rest, Tobi would some how instantly appear and find him another chore to do. He was tired and hungry and achy and it was only the first day. On top of all that he still hadn't been able to find Silver and Jim was pretty sure he'd covered the ship from stem to stern.

He sighed and closed his eyes at the mounting headache. It had started not long after they took off and had steadily gotten worse as the day dragged on. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who was running crew on this ship. Tobi pulled more than her fair share of the weight, not only because it was her ship but also because she was the navigator. The Dopplers had not been spared either. He'd caught a glimpse of a coatless Amelia sorting through boxes in storage and Dilbert repeatedly shocked himself as he tried to repair a heating system.

The ship was on course for the planet Mersic, which was where Tobi said they'd find information that would take them to the next step. She'd shown them a small ball like a marble, that was cloudy on first glimpse but as one got closer, they could see that it was a small planet. This was their first step in the journey, but it was the only clue she'd been given. The Anglicans had made it so that only by following the signs and planets could one find Marias. Tobi hadn't even been given any clue by her parents or family so she'd had to find someone who did. Jim detected the slightest hint of disappointment in her voice when she told them this.

Smells began to tickle Jim's nose, making his stomach grumble. He didn't realize how hungry he was but now that he'd had a moment to relax he found himself starving. He was about to ask Tobi what they were having for dinner when something occurred to him. One was the fact that Tobi had never made any mention of making their meals. The second was that he'd just seen her on his way down headed towards the bow of the ship to check their position.

He looked over at the figure, which had its back turned to him. Quietly, he got up from his seat and walked over, trying to see who their cook was without alerting him. He'd gotten a little bit of profile before he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, Dilbert belting what he must've thought was a sailor's song. .

"Ah way a-waaaay!" Dilbert belted, belting a howl at the end. Amelia rolled her eyes as she followed her husband into the galley, but Jim could tell that she was more amused than anything.

"Ah Jim good to see that you haven't dropped dead from exhaustion," Amelia said, setting her box on the table. Dilbert dramatically sighed as he planted himself firmly in a seat.

"Good grief, this is not what I had imagined when I signed on to do this," Dilbert sighed as he wiped his glasses. Jim smiled at them both as he angled himself between the Dopplers and the chef. He had hoped that he might have a private word with their "chef." And he might've too, if it hadn't been for Dilbert's nose.

"My goodness that smells delightful! I say what are we having for supper?" he asked. Jim tried desperately to keep himself between them but Dilbert was curious by nature and of course surprised by the chef's prescence. "Oh we have another member of the crew? I say sir what's your name? My name is Dr. Dilbert Doppler, noted astrophysicist, and this is my wife, Captain Amelia Doppler."

"Me? Oh," he turned around, his cap pulled low so that it might hide his face but Jim could've smacked himself because his voice sounded about the same with a little more gravel to it. "My name…is, uh…Sam! Yeah my name be Samuel Jacobson and I'll be serving you fine people some of me specialty ifin y'all be having a seat." He gestured at the table, his arms laden with bowls of…something.

Dilbert was puzzled but it was Amelia that Jim was concerned about. Not much escaped her notice and he was sure it wasn't just the stranger's awkward behavior that had her senses on high alert. She bent over to peek under the sailor's hat but he swept away. "And where exactly do you hail from Samuel?" she asked. He chuckled but sounded more than a little nervous. He quickly set the bowls down on the table and moved to go back to the galley, but Amelia was too fast. She whipped off the hat and _hissed_. "You!" she cried as she reached for her pistol. Or where it might've been if she hadn't taken off her coat.

"Now now ma'am, there be no reason to go gettin' all upset, is there?" Silver tried. But there was no bargaining with Amelia when she'd made up her mind about something like this.

"You sir are a wanted criminal and it is my sworn duty to turn you in. Jim, as a fellow captain I expect you do give me assistance and see to it that he doesn't make a break for it. I'll radio someone from the Galactic Police Force to come pick him up," she told the young man. He looked at Silver's leg, which had healed well but there still seemed to be a pronounced limp in his gait. Even if Silver wanted to make a break for it, he wouldn't be able to without being in a lot of pain.

"Well, you know why I won't be going stealin' one of Miss Tobi's fine land crafts Jimbo. It's a shame though. I was hopin' to have one last big hurrah before finally retirin'. Ah well, I figured I'd be seein' the inside of Majar Prison sooner or later," he drawled.

"It's going to have to be later Mr. Silver, as you are still under contract with me," Tobi announced from the stairs. It took a moment but Amelia bristled when she realized what Tobi had said.

"Under contract? You willingly let him board the ship? You know he is an outlaw and as an alumni of the Interstellar Academy it is you duty to turn him in," she said.

"Ah, it is. But he's also an excellent pirate and his knowledge might come in handy should we have to face… 'unscrupulous' characters, so I'm keeping him around." This just seemed to make the captain all the angrier.

"Fine. Then I will just have to turn him in myself," she said and started for the stairs.

"I think you'll find, Captain Amelia, that the communications system is not in proper working order at the moment." That made the woman stop and slowly turn around. "You see, we passed the limits of the Federation's law only a little while ago, but I timed it so you would find our last crew member after the fact. That being said, I still figured you might try to call someone. So I dismantled the system," Tobi said as she pulled some mechanical parts from behind her back. Amelia looked as if she might combust right on the spot.

"What do you think you are doing? That is also our emergency signal!" she cried.

"This is all part of the plan, Captain. We will not be turning around to turn Mr. Silver in and I will not be putting the communicator back together until we are far enough away from Federation space or we have an emergency. And before you go questioning if I know what I am doing with the communicator, I have fixed it many times in the past. I have lived and breathed this ship my entire life, it is safe to assume that I know what I am doing," Tobi said. Jim didn't know whether to be impressed or worried. Few ever talked back to Captain Amelia Doppler and didn't at least come away with a cutlass scar. Said captain was astonished at the sheer audacity of the young Halfling, but she must've realized the depth of the situation because she finally collapsed into a seat and groaned.

"Um, excuse me, Cap 'in? No, the lady captain," he said when both Jim and Amelia turned. "This might not be the best time to be saying this, but I think there's something else you should know." He reached around a corner and tugged at something. It resisted, but there was very little that could stand against Silver's bulk. What came around the corner shocked them all.

"Madeline! What on earth?" her mother cried. She and Dilbert inspected their youngest daughter, who looked rather guilty.

"Found her a few hours ago, hiding in one of the barrels. Unfortunately, we'd already shipped off and I couldn't come out of hiding to present her, so it looks like we'll be taking her with us," Silver said.

"Absolutely not! Tabitha, we must turn around at once, or at the very least re-assemble the communicator so that I might have one of my associate's come and pick her up," Amelia said. Tobi looked skeptical for a moment but nodded before heading back up the stairs.

"No!" Madeline cried, taking them all by surprise. "I don't want to go back. Besides, I came here for another reason," she said and cast her eyes over her shoulder. For a moment nothing happened but then a small amorphous blob began buzzing around everyone's heads.

"Morph!" Jim said. He'd left the little shape shifter back on Montressor to help watch over the girls and to keep Ben out of trouble. He chirped and clicked, happy to see everyone before nesting in Madeline's hair.

"He wanted to come so badly and well, I was the only one who could help," she said. Her eyes were very large and watery but Jim had to give the little girl credit for keeping it together under pressure.

Dilbert sighed and kneeled to look at his daughter. "Sweetheart that is no reason to come on a dangerous journey. You know better. For now, we'll sit down and have dinner, and if and when we hear back from the Federation, we'll decide on your punishment." The little girl looked so dejected it almost made Jim reach out and hug her. It was not in Madeline's nature to seek out adventure and he could see it was taking all of her courage to stand her ground. But the Dopplers had a point. This was too dangerous for a someone her age and it would be best if she went home.

Morph was up again bouncing back and forth between chirping at Jim and cuddling Silver. The pirate, while not obviously eavesdropping, had a very sullen look on his face. "Some how I doubt that that little girl will be going home," he said.

"What makes you say that?" Jim asked a little taken aback. There was something very…finite in what Silver had said.

"It could just be 'cause I'm gettin' old, but there's an ache in my bones that only comes about when theirs trouble a'comin'. It wouldn't surprise me if we had trouble with communicatin' to the Federation," he told Jim just as Tobi trod back down the stairs with a grim look on her face.

"I put the communicator back together, but all I can get is static. There must be an electric storm between here and the nearest check point. And if there is an electric storm, I am not flying my ship through that. The old girl is strong and steady but a powerful enough lightening strike would rip her and us to pieces," Tobi said. Amelia and Dilbert looked at each other, but it was out of their hands. Madeline, while not exactly happy with what had happened, did wear a small smile after hearing the news.

At least, until Tobi burst her bubble.

"I remembered something. There's a place not too far from here where we might run into some Federation officers. Mind you, it will be a while before we get there, but still it is an option," she said. Neither Dilbert or Amelia were happy with the situation but nodded. Tobi looked quite pleased with herself as she sat down to her own bowl. Digging in, she sighed. "This is delicious. What is it?"

Silver smiled. "Why that would be Bonza Beast stew," he said, just as a nose bobbed up in her bowl. She stared at it a minute, unsure what to do. There were strangled noises from the Dopplers as the young woman shrugged and ate more of the stew, careful to pick out the nose. Silver looked both surprised and impressed.

"Don't let that one get away," he whispered to Jim.

AN: Oh hell, I'm so far behind and I hate plot chapters! Damn them and their inability to slip from my mind to the page as easily as others. To hell I say! And I'm sorry to say what a crappy chapter this is. It's another one of those damn plot chapters that does not want to be written. I'll probably fix it later on but right now I am just happy that I could make B to connect A and C.

Thanks for reading! And please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. Tobi is mine.**

Jim looked dubiously at the sign swaying over his head.

_Buckle Inn._ The paint was chipped and faded, much like the rest of the building. In fact, it reminded him of something he'd seen a long time ago, something called a western and there was a local hangout called a saloon that he would swear this place was its twin.

Except the windows were all boarded up and in place of a pair of swinging wooden doors were a pair of steel ones instead. It practically reeked of illegal because it sat just beyond the Federation boundary, not to mention that it just looked shaddy. But Tobi insisted this was the place they might be able to find help.

So he was not at all prepared for what he saw when he stepped inside.

Old west saloons were run down and dirty. This was a high class casino, with gambling tables, bars and lounges spread out across the floor. It was bustling with all sorts of aliens, all of them of some illegal profession if he had to guess. But that didn't seem to faze the card dealers and bar maids, who didn't even bat an eyelash at the guns.

Tobi tugged on his arm and he had no choice but to follow. This was not some place he wanted to get lost in and if she knew where to go than so much the better for him. She led him deeper in, past most of the regular tables and back to where the high rollers stayed. They stopped at an old wood bar that gleamed under the lighting. A young female Vevia looked them over, her six long arms absent-mindedly cleaning the bar or wiping glasses or moving bottles of booze around.

"What'll it be?" she asked.

"A zizzle for me and Bergian beer for my friend. Also, could you call Vixen for me and tell her adventure's come to call?" The alien started in shock but quickly set to work fixing those drink while she spoke to someone over a communicator. When the call ended she nodded and pushed their drinks at them, muttering, "On the house." Tobi smiled and wandered over to one of the lounges. The seats were plush and made of a rich fabric that made Jim squirm. If he spilled anything on it, there was no way he'd be able to pay for repairs.

"Are you sure we should be drinking this?" he asked. They were both underage but the girl was already into hers.

"Don't worry about it. We're out of Federation airspace. Not much they can do any way," she told him. He gave her a skeptical look as he took a sip. It had a rich flavor with a hint of sweetness, although the alcohol burned on the way down.

"Venture? Is that you?" a voice came from behind them. Jim turned to see Tobi jump up and into the arms of a Calcur, whose species might've been able to pass for a regular human if it weren't for the bright pink skin, purple hair and two extra arms. She had a very pretty face and a charming smile. She was also rather buxom, as her breasts threatened to spill out of her corset.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't think I'd see you here again. Well, at least not this soon," she chuckled. Tobi laughed and swung an arm around the alien's waist. Jim was surprised at how good the two of them looked together. Or rather, how good they looked. _Of course it could be the alcohol_, he thought as he took another swig.

"Yeah, we're on a trip but it seems we have ourselves a stowaway. There's an electrical storm and my communicator isn't strong enough to penetrate it. I wanted to ask Vixen if we could use hers."

"I would love to, if it weren't also out of commission," someone purred. Jim had to turn all the way in his seat to see an older Klekian behind them. Her brown skin was rough, reminding him of gravel. But she had sharp eyes and looked good for someone about his mom's age.

In fact, there were an awful lot of pretty girls or females around this place. He glanced over the card tables at the female dealers decked out in lingerie. The waitresses, bar tenders, even it seemed security were all scantily clad females. While he had only his prejudice towards his own species to judge them by, he still thought they were beautiful. Still, it was rather confusing and he drained his beer which only helped in making everything a little less steady. _What exactly do they put in these things?_

"I figured as much since it's rarely worked in the past. But I was also hoping that you might have some Federation officers hanging around that I could talk to," she tried. But Vixen just shook her head.

"Not tonight I'm afraid. And even if I did you know I'd be hesitant to let you talk to them." Tobi's face sank but she nodded.

"I understand," she sighed as she plopped down in her seat. It was then that Vixen finally noticed he was there.

"And who might we have here?" she purred. Jim could feel his face heat up as she leaned over him. Her dress was only a little more conservative as her breasts seemed to be forming some sort of escape plan. She was also wearing some sort of scent, though Jim could swear it was actually drawing him in and making his eyes grow heavy.

"That would be Captain James Hawkins. A recent graduate of the Interstellar Academy, much like myself," Tobi said from somewhere far off. Something cold was pressed into his hand and Jim took the opportunity to try to clear his head. The alcohol only succeeded in making his thoughts more muddled. He glared down at the beer in his hand like it had designs on him.

"My my, what a handsome young man. And a space captain to boot. I'm sure the girls would like to meet him," the older woman said. She was watching him as she caressed his face but her statement had been directed elsewhere.

He glanced over at Tobi who seemed to be pondering the offer. The wicked smile that spread over her face would've turned his blood to ice were it not for the beers having already heated it. Speaking of which…

"I do believe, that they would. But I can't afford full price you know," she said.

"Oh, I'm sure we can work something out," Vixen called out as she went back to the bar. She spoke quickly into the communicator and Jim could hear a soft set of chimes go off as she glided back. She pushed a stray hair off his face, making him shiver. It wasn't a bad feeling, but he wasn't really sure what he felt. Had two beers really thrown him off that badly? He found himself leaning into the alien's touch, if only to see her smile again.

"Pleasant indeed. Oh girls good. Come, meet Mr. Jim Hawkins. He'd very much like to make your acquaintance," she said. Jim looked up at four very pretty aliens, all ranging from the pretty Calcur earlier to another of Amelia's species. Two of them giggled and tugged him to his feet, dancing around him like sprites. They gently guided him to an elevator, their touches light like feathers that sent small shocks through his arms.

He followed them off the elevator and down a hallway lined with doors. Some where inside his murky thoughts Jim knew what this place was but he'd stopped caring. Instead he smiled as the girls steered him down the corridor. His senses were awash in flowery perfumes and giggling. So much giggling.

They opened a door and had Jim been in his right mind, he might've been shocked at the size of the suite. But his mind found itself preoccupied as one bold girl pulled him in for a kiss. He was vaguely aware that he was moving but it wasn't until she pulled him down that he realized they'd moved to the bed. He bent in to kiss the girl again but two of his escorts pulled him away. The captain might've protested if they hadn't started taking off his clothes.

_Oh, well. That's fine._

A noise over his shoulder pulled his attention to the door. Tobi and Vixen were standing there, looking awfully smug.

"Take good care of him. I need him back in the morning in one piece," Tobi said, though she sounded very far away.

"You know we will. Now off with you and let us do our work," the other woman declared. Tobi's grin widened as she nodded and left.

Suddenly, Jim realized he was alone with five women he hardly knew, four of whom seemed very enthusiastic about getting his pants off. He shuffled about trying to sit up but then there were hands and he moaned because it felt _so good_.

"W-Wait!" he tried, though his tongue felt heavy and swollen. One of the girls _shushed_ him, her finger to his lips.

"There's a reason we call this place the _Buckle Inn_. It's because you're in for one hell of a ride."

**AN: HAHAHAHAHA! Have some cheese to finish off a rather risqué chapter! Don't worry, for those of you who are squeamish about such things there shall be no graphic details pertaining to Jim's wild night of lust. I just wanted to get the boy laid! HA! I honestly hadn't originally planned on going this route, but it kind of popped into my head and stuck. So whether you like it or hate it, I'm keeping it.**

**Oh and like the whole pun with the name? Totally just popped into my head one day and I had to use it. It had to be done. **

**Thanks for reading! Thanks to those who have favorited this or reviewed! Please review!**


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